So I've been playing for a few years now and I've never fully understood just exactly what the difference between these are. Is it better to have 10% frost shield or resist frost 10?

Frost Shield provides two effects. A 10% Frost Shield would give you 10% Shield plus 10% Resist Frost.

glargg answered the question, given the same rating a elemental shield is better. For spells or potions you might get a higher resistance than shield for the magicka or potion but, with resistance you don't get the additional protection from melee attacks.

What I really wanted to add was that the reason for this is that an elemental shield theoretically puts up a shield using that element. So for example a Frost Shield puts up some frost shield around your character and so (in theory) negates some of a frost elemental attack. But the shield part also negates some of the melee attack. In TES IV: Oblivion this is not obvious because there is no noticeable visible effect. However in TES III: Morrowind there is, you actually see your character surrounded by the appropriate type of shield.

Ohh Ok so its like just using a 10% resist frost and a 10% shield?

Yes, that's exactly how it works. It even stacks with Resist.

Which means that as Dunmer, Lothran doesn′t need much extra to be fully resistant to fire :celebration: